“Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback” (2023) / Z-View

Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback (2023)

Director: John Scheinfeld

Screenplay: John Scheinfeld

Stars: Elvis Presley, Leslie Uggams, The Beatles, Harry Belafonte, Petula Clark, Darius Rucker.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

In the mid 1950s, Elvis Presley burst on the scene.  He was an instant star and no one was bigger. Elvis was seen as a rebel by many and dangerous by some.  By the mid 1960s, Elvis’ star had faded.  His music wasn’t hip and a string of bad movies had Elvis doubting himself.  Then Elvis was signed for a television special.  Steve Binder was set to direct.  Binder had ideas for the production, but they were vetoed by Elvis’ manager, Colonel Parker.  Elvis faced a tough decision.  Follow his manager’s directives or give the new guy a chance.

Elvis knew his career depended on the success of the special…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback takes us behind the scenes with footage and stories from those who were there.

It’s interesting to note that the parts of the special that were best received were those that Colonel Parker tried to veto.  I had a pretty poor opinion of Parker before this documentary and after viewing it, my opinion dropped even further.

I was ten years old when the special aired.  I can remember adults talking about how “cool” Elvis was in it.  Yeah, Elvis was back, baby.

Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback (2023) rates 4 of 5 stars.